Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 171: The Birth of the Supranational Actors
Facing Anand's question, Zheng Yi did not directly answer, but said:

"In fact, the situation in Southeast Asia is quite special. Except for Siam, all other places are colonies of European and American powers.

Southeast Asia as a whole is practically devoid of history. Even ancient Siam, who knows where its borders are?

"Culturally, Southeast Asia is primarily influenced by Indian and Christian culture, which has led to a lack of secularism and makes people easily influenced."

"The combined effects of topography and climate have resulted in fragmented mountains and rivers here. During the rainy season, roads are easily cut off. While it may appear to be a single entity, in reality, each region is often fragmented."

"Strictly speaking, people in Southeast Asia have always lacked a sense of national identity. The so-called Malays are those who live on the Malay Peninsula, and the Javanese are those who live on the island of Java."

"The so-called concept of nation was actually brought in by foreign colonizers. Because the colonizers called it that, we followed suit. It was the anti-colonial sentiment in our hearts that gave rise to the most primitive national ideology, and the idea of ​​nation naturally became non-existent."

"Simply put, it's a complete division and disorganization in terms of culture, geography, and customs."

As he spoke, Zheng Yi couldn't help but smile bitterly and shook his head.

Whether in ancient times, modern times, or present times, these countries in Southeast Asia are too scattered. The Chinese, who are used to the unified society in their previous lives, are really not adapted to this environment.

He is not an absolute supporter of geographical determinism, but the people in Southeast Asia are indeed generally decentralized. Simply put, they completely do not recognize centralized power.

Even in modern society, although countries are established on the surface, Malaysia is a tiny place, but it is a federal system divided into thirteen states, and each state has its own characteristics.

And these are actually model students in Southeast Asia.

After all, the Malay Peninsula is a peninsula, and people are relatively more organized. Moreover, since the founding of the country, it has always faced the problem of the Chinese population being too large and too powerful.

To put it bluntly, the Chinese are too civilized, and by isolating them from the outside, they are actually banding together to fight against the Chinese.

Rather than saying that Malays are people living on the Malay Peninsula as defined by the British, it is better to say that they are a group of people on the Malay Peninsula who formed a national consensus in order to exclude the Chinese.

Indonesia is just a place where more than a hundred tribes live together, and you can't tell at all that it is a country.

In Myanmar, more than 40 ethnic armed groups were still fighting until Zheng Yi crossed over.

Cambodia and Laos are not as good as Myanmar.

Overall, the racial situation in Southeast Asia is very chaotic. Except for Malaya, which has the basic concepts of Malays and Malays because of the Chinese, the ethnic groups forcibly combined by other countries cannot actually get along with each other.

Not to mention thinking and working in the same direction, it would be good enough if we could ensure that we don't fight with each other or seek independence.

Being a manager in such a place, or trying to make a difference by taking charge of everything, will exhaust you and you won't get any benefits.

Simply put, the indigenous peoples of this place are essentially not much different from those in Africa and Latin America. The country is just an international concept. In fact, internally, the people lack public recognition, and it is easy for the government to get involved in trouble.

Even the so-called civilized societies of later generations, except for Singapore and Brunei, which are ultra-small countries, at least have some history. Thailand was independent before World War II, and Vietnam was historically influenced by Confucian civilization and has always regarded itself as an East Asian country.

The rest of Southeast Asia is a mess.

In addition, Zheng Yi himself does not want to be a dictator who serves the country and the people, nor does he need to be a tyrant who exploits the people's wealth. Holding a democratic election is a dead end.

Whether it's Kedah, Yangon, the newly seceded Pattani, or even Southeast Asia as a whole, Zheng Yi has formulated a core principle for his future political planning: [Less involvement, less responsibility, and no power below the county level]

For this purpose, Zheng Yi, for the first time, planned to try a political experiment in Nanyang that was unique, unprecedented, and would never be repeated.

In response to Anand's question, Zheng Yi smiled and said, "I have never held any political position so far. Even in Penang, the mayor is Mr. Tan Kah Kee. I don't hold any position in Penang."

"what?"

Anand was stunned. If Zheng Yi hadn't told him, he wouldn't have known about this.

"I intend to establish a supranational actor, which I will name the Nanyang Alliance of Solidarity and Mutual Assistance and Cooperation against Colonialism and Oppression, or SAARC for short."

"Currently, the regions confirmed to join SAARC are Penang, Yangon, Alor Setar, Perlis, Ipoh, and Pattani, as well as the radiation areas of the cities themselves."

"Of course, this is only temporary. In the future, I believe that more and more cities and regions will 'voluntarily' join SAARC."

"SAARC is an international supranational actor with the purpose of mutual assistance. Its responsibilities include providing unified military protection for member cities, diplomatic voice, and the elimination of internal tariffs, a unified currency, and agreed tax rates."

"But SAARC does not interfere with the specific affairs of various cities and their surrounding areas, as well as the various ethnic groups in their states, such as the internal affairs of Kedah. It is up to you states to decide for yourself."

"We are still a British colony, so the governors are still appointed by the British. If the British leave Southeast Asia one day, that will be the internal affairs of the states. In principle, SAARC will not interfere in the internal affairs of states and cities."

"As for the internal structure of SAARC, my current idea is to adopt a shareholding cooperative system, that is, the main body of SAARC will be composed of listed companies above a certain scale in major cities that have joined SAARC."

"Simply put, companies listed in Penang are required to pay 10% of their profits as 'membership fees' to cover SAARC's internal operating costs, which are then included in public accounts. (They essentially don't pay taxes.)"

“As for decision-making power within SAARC, it is done through shareholder meetings, where voting rights are allocated based on the proportion of shares held by shareholders on the SAARC stock market in Penang.”

"In other words, whoever has money, or whoever can get the support of the most wealthy people, can become a member of the SAARC and the chairman. And there is no doubt that Mr. Anand will become a member of the SAARC with the sacred vote."

In the entire Southern Alliance, Zheng Yi's personal capital accounts for almost 25%, which is an absolute giant.

Apart from Zheng Yi, other Chinese account for almost 30%, and another 30% are British and American multinational companies, such as the Seven Sisters of Oil, US Steel, Royal Mechanical, Sweden's Atlas and ASEA, Kodak, Saturn Shipping, Citibank and HSBC, etc.

After Zheng Yi decided to establish the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), these international capitals decided to split out their industries in Nanyang and list them separately in Penang.

Even about 12% was given to Japanese residents, including Seiko, Toyota Boshoku, Yasuda Bank, etc.

This made these Japanese residents feel terrified.

The essence of the Southern Association for Regional Cooperation is actually a chaebol alliance of large enterprises. If nothing unexpected happens, these chaebols will definitely engage in very frequent internal marriages and cross-holdings in the next few decades, just like the Japanese chaebols after World War II in history.

The remaining 3% is reserved for these Malay and Burmese enterprises.

To be honest, Zheng Yi himself didn't know how he squeezed out these 3%. After all, it wouldn't make sense not to give the indigenous people any money at all. It would seem too colonial. The problem is that they really can't come up with any decent indigenous enterprises.

In his opinion, in the future these indigenous Nanyang enterprises must occupy at least 10% of the entire Nanyang Association for the stability of Nanyang Association.

The advantage of such an alliance is that it has fewer things to do, and it can pool resources and work together to open up the domestic market. In the future, people will listen to it when it speaks internationally.

However, there are also many disadvantages. One of them is that once there is a lack of absolute authority to control the situation internally, it is likely to become like the European Union in later generations, with everyone arguing with each other.

Because in this kind of organizational structure, it is difficult to accomplish things, but it is easy to do bad things. To accomplish something, you need the support of most people, but to do something bad, only the opposition of a very small number of people is enough.

Zheng Yi would definitely not follow the EU's approach of giving all members a veto. Based on the EU's experience, this was completely insane. Zheng Yi remembered that before he traveled through time, Europe was almost reduced to a third world country because of this so-called veto power.

Zheng Yi would definitely not do this, but he had to admit that even without this, once the alliance lacked a strong enough leader, its efficiency would be hard to say.

But Zheng Yi believed that as long as he was still alive, he would hardly be unable to control the situation.

As for after his death.

We can talk about it after we die. Why bother with that? Anand: "So, I am from SAARC."

Zheng Yi: "At least your military salaries are paid by the SAARC, and your military-owned enterprises should be listed in Penang within two years."

Anand: "I understand. Then Mr. Zheng, how will SAARC help Kedah and Alor Setar?"

Even Anand, a Malay with little knowledge and culture, understands the principle of equal rights and obligations.

SAARC will not interfere in matters outside the cities, especially in the villages, but it absolutely cannot ignore matters in the cities, otherwise there would be no need for this supranational actor to exist.

Zheng Yi said bluntly, "Your performance has earned my respect. First, SAARC will increase its investment in Alor Setar. Just this morning, I presided over a municipal meeting in Penang, and they unanimously decided to increase investment in Alor Setar by approximately three times."

"We have decided to further expand the army in Kedah by establishing a full division and ensuring that there will be at least one reinforced brigade."

“By expanding the military in Kedah, we will also further expand the military industry and the size of the city of Alor Setar.”

“Our goal is to build Alor Setar into a core industrial population of 20,000 soldiers and more than 100,000 soldiers’ families within five years.

Large cities with a total population of between 2 and 3 million, with a workforce of over 400,000 in auxiliary and supporting industries, and a workforce of one million or even more engaged in the service industry.

“Of course, to achieve this population size, especially the industrial population size, it is impossible to rely solely on migrants from Kedah. There will also be Malays, Indians, Burmese, Javanese, Chinese, Japanese, and British from other states.”

“Alor Setar will change from a city that is almost entirely Malay to a city with a mixed population but still dominated by Malays. This is why I specifically invited Dato’ Onn to be the mayor of Alor Setar.”

Anand couldn't help but ask curiously: "Will Alor Setar replace Kuala Lumpur?"

Zheng Yi: "It's hard to say, but at least economically, there's no problem in replacing Kuala Lumpur as the economic center of the entire Malay Peninsula."

The economy of Kuala Lumpur mainly relies on tin mines, and it is a resource-based city. Although it is located at the confluence of rivers, which facilitates connections with other regions on the Malay Peninsula, it is not a coastal city after all and is not suitable for export-oriented industries.

In developing industry, especially when skipping simple primary product processing and entering manufacturing, the disadvantages of not being located on the coast and having no ports have become very obvious.

"Alor Setar's industry will undergo a large-scale upgrade. In addition to the textile industry, cement, bricks, sandstone, steel bars and other construction material industries will also be relocated here.
In addition, Penang’s existing food processing industry will also need to relocate some of its businesses here on a large scale, and also build new ones.”

"Jam, juice, rice crackers, senbei, biscuits, and most importantly, cooking oil and sugar."

"Taiyou Machinery in Penang has a workshop that specializes in producing large equipment. It used to produce large filling, piping and other equipment for refineries. Now, all seven of Penang's oil refineries have been completed and put into production."

"The factory has been idled, but I think that oil refining equipment, edible oil equipment, and beer and beverage equipment actually have a lot in common. The core and key parts of the oil refining equipment are all imported from foreign countries."

“So I plan to vigorously develop industrial production such as beer, beverages and oil pressing in Alor Setar, while Penang will only be responsible for producing various food additives, plastic packaging bags and bottles, and providing services to you.”

“My main purpose in the food processing industry in Penang is to provide food for myself. However, since Alor Setar and Penang are so close, as long as Alor Setar has enough food, Penang will naturally be safe.”

"Oh yes, and the most important thing is the water plant. I plan to expand the water plant in Kedah so that it can meet the needs of both Penang and Alor Setar. The water consumption will be huge."

"The families of you soldiers will then work in these factories. Those of you who have made contributions can work in power plants, water plants, and cooking oil factories. The families of those who joined later will work in other industries such as food processing and textiles."

"Only when the food processing industry develops can villages in Kedah and other parts of the Malay Peninsula keep up with the development. They can grow rice and fruit, and build roads to transport fruit and food."

"As long as Alor Setar's industry can develop, the service industry will naturally develop. Penang's biggest problem at present is the high cost of land and dense population.

Furthermore, labor costs are too high, making it difficult to develop entertainment and leisure activities. Alor Setar can fill this gap.”

“In this way, a SAARC enterprise with you, the military personnel and your families, as the core will drive the entire Alor Setar, which in turn will drive the entire Kedah, and the entire Kedah will drive the economic model of Malaya.”

In fact, it is somewhat similar to the relationship between Hong Kong Island and Shenzhen, and between Hong Kong and Guangdong in the 1980s and 1990s.

If Alor Setar expands slightly to the north, it will be able to face Penang across the sea. It is definitely inconvenient now, but after World War II, a cross-sea bridge can be built to connect it.

This is also beneficial to the people of Penang. Not only are they guaranteed food and fresh water, but they also have a place to relax and have fun on weekends and holidays.

Of course, this bridge cannot be built now. The pie that Zheng Yi drew for Anand and Datuk Ong is a plan that will take at least four or five years to complete, but he estimated that it would probably take less than four or five years before the Japanese invaded.

If Alor Setar cannot be defended at that time, but the Malays who have joined the city can always stand with Penang and are willing and willing to fight street battles with the Japanese, it will at least not be difficult to delay the Japanese.

You have to know that in the history of the Pacific battlefield, it took only one or two years for the United States to go from being at a great disadvantage to starting to fight back. Penang's anti-Japanese war lasted only a year at most. If Alor Setar could help him hold on for half a year, he would only need to hold on for half a year.

If Alor Setar could help him for a year, Penang would be spared from the war.

If war is bound to happen and lives are bound to be lost, then it is better to fight it in Alor Setar than in Penang.

It is better for Malays to die than for Chinese to die.

Even the Malays who followed him.

As for Yangon and Pattani, they naturally have their own development and management methods. In internal governance, Zheng Yi fully respects the actual conditions in various places.

For example, there are nearly one million Chinese people in Yangon, so naturally the Chinese are the main focus. The overall management idea is somewhat similar to an enhanced version of the British Colonial Office. The companies in it are basically all run by Chinese and Japanese. As for the military, it is the same as Penang. Everyone is given guns and compulsory military training is enough.

Although Pattani is also predominantly inhabited by Malays, it was separated from Siam after all. It is much farther away from Ayer Hitam, Penang, and it is impossible for it to undertake so many service industry and industrial transfers.

In addition, Wu Aihua, this Chinese is too special. He has a high prestige and just needs Zheng Yi's help.

Zheng Yi couldn't possibly trust him, so although Pattani would definitely join the Southern Association for Regional Cooperation, the relationship was actually more like one of mutual cooperation and mutual benefit.

As for how SAARC will develop after World War II, we will talk about it later. It mainly depends on how the war itself turns out.

However, within this system, there is no doubt that Penang is the core of the entire SAARC. However, Alor Setar is very likely to become one of the core cities in SAARC second only to Penang by virtue of its distance advantage across the sea from Penang.

And this was really the result of their battle.

Originally, Zheng Yi's positioning for Alor Setar was definitely not so high.

Even Anand now understood that the number of these soldiers was the number of core industrial enterprises in Alor Setar, and the merits and quality of these Malay soldiers was the quality of Alor Setar's core industrial enterprises.

Before seizing the battleship, the only industrial category Zheng Yi had given to Alor Setar was the textile industry, but now, Zheng Yi was going to build a food processing industry for them, including edible oil, beverages, beer and other industries.

In other words, the more these Malay soldiers can prove their loyalty to Mr. Zheng and their fighting ability, and the more military exploits they make, the more industrial enterprises there will be in Alor Setar and the higher their level will be.

Alor Setar can in turn drive the development of the entire Kedah state and the entire Malay Peninsula.

Of course, Anand also noticed that Alor Setar's industries were all civilian industries, and the three most important things, bullets, artillery shells, and oil refining, were still in the hands of Penang, which meant that they could clamp down on Alor Setar at any time.

But after all, the Malays have no concept of nation. They used to work for the British, and now they work for Mr. Zheng. Mr. Zheng treats them much better than the British, so for them, there is no problem with being loyal to Mr. Zheng.

This is a fight for Alor Setar, for Kedah, for the whole of Malaya and even for the Malay nation.

"I understand Mr. Zheng and Dato' Onn. I don't know if others will take the money and go to Penang, but I will stay in Alor Setar and fight for you, Mr. Zheng, and the entire Malay race."

(End of this chapter)